I found The Giver to be an interesting book written in 3rd person. The main character, Jonas, has 2 friends, Asher and Fiona. Jonas learns about pain and how to deal with it.

The Giver was a good book and made want to keep reading. The author was descriptive and gave vivid details. The ending, however, was disappointing because it ended abruptly.

I would recommend this book to kids starting picture-less chapter books. The ending left me wondering whether to finish the series. I want to I know what will happen but I don’t want to be disappointed again.

Five Signs that our Kids are growing up too0 quickly!

1. Walking: It may only be a few steps at a time without quickly grabbing hold of something, but Keira is up and moving and shows no signs of sitting back down.

2. Humor: Anthony is starting to study and master the fine art of Sarcasm.

3. Reading: Ethan is reading and understanding books way beyond his reading level. He is currently reading “Two Towers” by Tolkien.

4. Food: Keira is more and more interested in eating solids rather than her bottle and she LOVES to feed herself and make a mess for Daddy and Mommy to clean up. She’ll at least try anything you put on her plate. She may slip it to the dogs if she doesn’t like it but she’ll at least try it.

5. Girls!! The boys may not admit it, but I know what’s coming. I’ve been there. Girls come around and their pre-teen brain turns to gooo. People kiss on TV and they are no longer covering their eyes and looking away. They take side ways glances out the corner of their eyes at the Victoria’s Secret catalog before I get a chance to throw it away!

Anthony walked into the kitchen, hopped up on his breakfast stool. He began his morning ritual of talking our ear off as Papa prepared breakfast and I worked on getting my lunch together for work. As I glanced over at Anthony, I noticed Anthony was twirling a necklace in his fingers. A pink necklace.

“Anthony – Where did you get that necklace?”

“Oh, I found it.”

“You found it?” I asked skeptically. I was convinced my 11 year old son must be currently “dating” and was wearing his girlfriend’s necklace. A little unconventional but who was I to judge?

“Yeah – I found it at school. It attaches by a magnet! Isn’t that cool!?!”

Ahhh… I got it. The coolness of the magnet over-powered the fact that the necklace was pink. And from that point on, I rarely saw Anthony without that particular necklace around the house. I wondered if the other kids at school teased him at all about the necklace. But knowing Anthony, he wasn’t one to care what other people said about him.

A week later, I walked into Anthony’s room and saw his bed was covered with the pink polka dot blanket that we had originally purchased to use as a beach blanket. I laughed. When he walked into the room, he took one defense look towards me and proclaimed “I was cold!”

“What about your dragon blanket?” I had originally bought him a dragon duvet cover with a super “manly” dragon breathing fire.

“Oh – that one isn’t as warm as the pink blanket.”

I laughed. “You could always put the dragon blanket over it.” He shrugged. Well, okay. If he didn’t care, I wasn’t going to care!

Time after time, I’ve seen Anthony turn “color blind” to colors that would typically be seen as “girly”. While Ethan has a set understanding that boys like blue and girls like pink, Anthony just doesn’t seem to care. If the blanket gets the job done, who cares what color

"So what if it's pink!!"

it is? While he’d prefer to have everything in his room black, falling asleep under a pink polka dot blanket isn’t going to ruin his day. (In contrast, Ethan would have an ultimate melt down if I were to ever suggest such a thing!)

With this blog post in my mind, I asked Anthony if he would pose with a bright pink car. After taking the picture, he turned to me and said, “You’re not going to post this on Facebook are you!?!”

“No – I was going to put it on our blog.”

“What!?”

“Well, I was thinking of explaining how you don’t seem to care what color things are. If it’s useful, you’re going to use it!”

It is time to find out just how much history the boys understand with some basic questions. What is even funnier is asking Kirsten some of these questions I’ve included some of her responses as well. Mind you she is putting in 10+ hour work days 7 days a week right now so her brain is a little…shall we say taxed. Afterward she stuck out her tongue and said “what do you know about international tax regulation?” to which I hid under the covers and cowered like a baby. 😉

Question 1: List in order the first five Presidents of the United States of America.

Question 3: Who was in charge of war planing for the British during WWII (hint think Doctor who season 5 in the bunker with the Dalek’s. History learned from Dr. Who folks.)

Anthony: Minster Winston

Ethan: Winston Noah

Dad: You both got half of it. Winston Churchill. Anthony he was indeed a Prime Minster in the British government but he would have been Prime Minster Churchill.

Question 4: Name one of the countries the Nile River runs through.

Anthony: Egypt

Ethan: Egypt

Dad: Good job both of you. Understanding Geography is a key to a good understanding of history.

Question 5: Which came first the Greek Empire or the Roman Empire?

Anthony : Greek

Ethan: Greek

Kirsten: Turkish?!

Dad: Right and Right. Many of the Greek ideas influenced the Roman empire and even out modern republic we live in.

Question 6: What event cause d the U. S. A. to enter into WWII

Anthony: That Bombing…

Ethan: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Dad: Anthony I know you are prenting not to know so I’ll have to take you on a field trip to Hawaii right. 😉 Ethan great job, not only did you get the event, but the players in the event as well.

Question 7: Please put the following wars in correct chronological order: World War II, Vietnam War, Revolutionary War, World War I, Koren War and Civil War

Anthony: 1. Revolutionary War 2. Civil War 3. World War I 4. World War II 5. Koren War 6. Vietnam War

Ethan: 1. Revolutionary War 2. Civil War. 3. Korean War 4. World War I 5. World War II 6. Vietnam War

Dad: Antony you have a good grasp of time! Chronological order of time is the second key to understanding history. Ethan you were so close, but in truth we hardly talk about the Korean War. The Korean war happened after the two World Wars. Maybe we should have a sit down and talk to Papa about it. It happened while he was growing up.

Question 8: Name two of the USA’s Allies During World War II

Anthony: Russia and France

Ethan: Russia and Britain

Dad: Correct! Later the five major countries in the Allies would form the five permeate seats in the security council of the United Nations Charter. The U.N. Charter is one of the most important documents of our time. People may not see it yet but we are becoming more and more of a global identity through media and technology.

–“We the peoples of the United Nations determined: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, And for these ends: to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims: Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.”

Question 9: What type of system of government do we have in the USA? Monarchy, Oligarchy, Democracy, Dictatorship?

Anthony: Democracy

Ethan: Democracy

Dad: Yes are a democratic republic.

Question 10: In what year did Columbus sail the ocean blue?

Anthony 1642

Ethan: 1602

Dad: In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. If he had been that late in sailing maybe the native populations might have had a fighting chance.

Question 11: What year did we first step foot on the Moon?

Anthony: 1967

Ethan: 1952

Dad: Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon July 20th 1969. I hope beyond hope that we get our butts in gear and get back up there in some way soon. Then we have so many moons around the other planets to explore!

Question 12: What was the first state in America

Anthony: Delaware

Ethan: Delaware

Dad: Ding ding ding.

Questions 13: Australia was first used by the British as a ________ Colony

Anthony: Slave

Ethan: Whalers

Dad: The first colony in Australia was a Prison colony.

Dad: As a Social Science Ed major I’m proud of both of you. Your knowledge of not only what events happened, but also WHY they happened is wonderful. We need to not only remember the past to stop it from happening again but understand what lead up to those events. I just hope I don’t bore you to death with all the history I want to teach you. I’ll always try to keep it interesting and relevant. If you ever have any questions about history just ask. If the question has to do with math go ask your mom.

Anthony: 1. I don’t think their CD come in clean versions, but I might down load some songs for you. 2. OMG seriously I think we have heard “Slippery When Wet” about a billion times already dude!!! 3. Linkin Park is our Pre-sports event music, gets up pumped up. Good work out music and writing music. 4. One day you too can play bass like Flea I just hope you are doing while wearing more than a sock 5. BEP are totally your mom’s influence but they do have some great drum tracks and good production value.

Ethan: 1. See number 5 for you brother. 2. Great sing along songs. I’m just waiting till you finally understand the hidden themes. 3. Just cause you think she’s cute doesn’t make her music good. (just saying). 4. Where is my Ten Foot Pole?? Nevermind make it 50! 5. I don’t even know who they are… (insert quick Google search.) uhmm okay o-O.

Question 2: List your three or four least favorite bands or musicians.

Anthony: 1. Don’t slam your bro at least he dares to sing and sings out load. Although I will agree he needs a larger repertory. 2. Yeah um talk to Ethan, and bring your Nerf sword. 3. What’s up with that? Sunday rides to church in the car with Nana? 4. I don’t even know where you would have heard any of his music.

Ethan: 1. Totally understand dude. I see some ear plugs in your future. 2. Really? You love to shake your hips though. Don’t tell Nana this or she might not buy you old-fashioned doughnuts anymore. 3. Do they still play this at school?

Anthony: 1. You know I’m not a fan of you watching this show. Change the channel BBC, Discovery, History, anything else. 2. One of the best show EVER! 3. Should we call it ” I ❤ Carly” or was it Sam you had a crush on. 😛

Ethan: 1. It’s fun to hear you and Anthony running around the house playing Cyberman Vs. Dalek. 2. I’m ready I’m ready 3. I’m lucky that I’ve never been home when you wanted to watch this “show.”

Anthony: 1. Well yeah but I still think it was 10x better in the theaters then on our home TV. 2. Possible one of the best movies ever. 3. I’ve only see the curse of the Ware Rabbit and it was very good.

Ethan: 1. I love that fact that you like this better than 1-3. Shows you have a good eye for film. 2. I’m thinking you like this because it was the most recent film you saw at the theater. 3. Great book series, the movie doesn’t really do the book justice, but as a popcorn kind of flick it’s good.

Anthony: 1. ALWAYS my favorite time of year. This year we are talking about having a party too. 2. This will be a blast, make sure to take pictures so you can show her when you are older and doesn’t remember it. 3. This may or may not happen in 2011, but it will 100% be started.

Ethan: 1. Who say’s he gets to date! You only want to tease him about it. 2. We can only hope. 3. That would rock! sledding, snow forts, watching shovel the side walks.